The deputy commander of a military unit in the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region was accused of falsifying documents to misappropriate 24 night vision devices, valued at around $95,000, investigators said in a statement.

The State Bureau of Investigation said the officer was responsible for logistics, and had allegedly ordered subordinates to conceal the equipment after claiming the devices were lost on the battlefield.

Following searches of the military unit and the suspect's residence, authorities seized evidence and detained the deputy commander pending trial.

Ukraine has been clamping down on illegal arms smuggling and recently launched hundreds of raids to identify ringleaders and block trafficking routes.

Kyiv this month detained several military officials, including two generals, on charges of fraud and negligence that made possible a Russian offensive in the Kharkiv region.

Ukraine has been waging a sweeping anti-corruption crackdown and launched reforms aimed at easing its membership to international institutions like the European Union.